EP3132921A1 - System and method for creating a fastening arrangement using additive manufacturing techniques, and such a fastening arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and system for producing a fastening arrangement (1) with a fastening object (2) on a mounting base (3). According to the invention, the system comprises a sensor system (5) for acquiring situation data (13) of a fastening situation, an expert system (6) for generating digital element data (14) of an element (15) for attachment, and a 3D printer (7) for generating the Elements (15).

Description

The invention relates to a system and a method for creating a fastening arrangement as well as a fastening system created in this way.

In attaching fasteners to a mounting base, there are numerous situations where a solution is found only on site in the construction of the fastener assembly, for example, when a façade or drywall is to be attached to an irregular mounting base, or if the fastener is unusual , such as a work of art in the sense of an artistic installation or the like. The preparation of the mounting arrangement is often expensive in this case and requires a lot of skill by the performer.

The object of the invention is to provide for such situations a simplification.

This object is achieved by the system with the features of claim 1 and by the method having the features of claim 7, wherein in particular a fastening arrangement with the features of claim 10 is formed.

The system according to the invention comprises at least one sensor system, a computer-aided expert system and a 3D printer. The inventive method for creating a fastening arrangement is carried out in particular using such a system.

The sensor system is used for the sensory acquisition of situation data of a fastening situation. The detection does not have to be exclusively sensory, but can also be supplemented by operator input. With a "mounting situation" is both the initial and the target situation in the Attachment meant. It can relate to both the ground, such as a wall, a ceiling, a floor or other structure, as well as the attachment subject. In the following, further aspects of the fastening situation are mentioned by way of example. The sensor system does not have to cover comprehensively all possible data of the attachment situation, but can be limited to individual data, for example the initial geometry of the attachment reason. The acquired data is recorded as situation data and in particular digitally stored as a situation data record.

Depending on the situation data, a computer-aided expert system as part of the inventive system generates digital element data of an attachment element. The computer-aided expert system in particular uses a database, in which case the database does not have to be physically connected to the computer on which the expert system runs, but rather can be coupled via a mobile Internet connection, for example. The element for attachment can serve alone the attachment, for example as plug-in dowel with molded hooks, but can also be used together with other auxiliary elements, which will be discussed later. It is also possible that the element for attachment only serves to assemble the attachment object to the attachment base without having a self-supporting effect. In this case, the element can remain for attachment to the mounting arrangement or even removed, so is merely mounting tool. For example, a number of rods of different lengths can be produced as assembly aids, which is used to hold a flexible profile on a roughly hewn natural stone wall in an exact circular shape until the profile is finally fixed to the natural stone wall with dowels and screws or a mounting foam.

A 3D printer generates the at least one element for attachment in dependence on the element data. The term "3D printer" here stands for devices which produce components in the additive process by successive addition and deposition of material, in particular of plastics. But also known are 3D printers that process other materials such as metals. The provision of expensive and geometrically inflexible injection molding tools is eliminated, also the generation of the element for attachment can be started almost immediately after the provision of the element data and optionally on site.

After the attachment element is made, the attachment object is mounted to the attachment base using the element.

The system and the method have the advantage that a complex geometric detection, such as surveying, and especially the corresponding adjustment of the mounting arrangement, which previously often requires a lot of time, effort and skill, is automated and thus considerably simplified.

The situation data acquired by the sensor system preferably include at least information about the mounting base, the desired distance, the desired position and / or the geometry of the fastening object. With regard to the fixing ground, it is possible to detect, for example, the surface geometry, the position of one or more boreholes and / or the geometry of the borehole itself. Also, a reference position that the user pretends to be detected. This also includes that the operator, in particular with auxiliary means, specifies vertical and / or horizontal lines for referencing or calibrating the system. In addition to or as an alternative to this geometry data, information about the building material of the attachment ground can be detected with the sensor system, for example via an optical analysis of drilling dust. With respect to the desired distance and the desired position of the fastening object relative to the mounting base, this can be done in particular with aids, such as specially designed pointing devices. For example, lasers for projecting a network of vertical and horizontal lines on an uneven ground in combination with styluses for indicating desired positions can be used as such pointing devices. With regard to the geometry of the fastening object, in particular the rear side can be detected, for example in order to detect the position and geometry of undercuts and / or support points for the fastening. As "back" here is understood in the assembled mounting state of the mounting base side facing. Also from another side, in particular from the front side opposite the rear side, in some fastening objects, recording positions can be detectable, for example in the form of a hole pattern.

The sensor system and / or the expert system preferably has an input and output unit for the operator. With this input and output unit, the operator can be guided in carrying out the method according to the invention and Information, such as desired holding forces, existing tools, nominal positions or nominal distances, capture.

With the help of the output unit, which may also include a printer, assembly instructions are preferably created by the expert system. These assembly instructions are used to create the mounting arrangement and are generated as a function of the situation data and element data. For example, the assembly instructions can specify which spacer element, which has been created as an element for fastening by the 3D printer, at which position is to be mounted and how several spacer elements are to be supplemented by profiles to form a substructure for a plasterboard wall.

When mounting the attachment object to the mounting base preferably in addition to the elements produced by 3D printer for attachment and auxiliary elements are used, which are not generated by the 3D printer, in particular dowels, screws, nuts, hooks, hardenable masses, spacers, profiles , Struts and / or insulating elements.

The sensor system preferably has a camera, a laser scanner, an endoscope and / or a button. The camera may for example be part of a mobile phone or a mobile computer. It is known that such mobile phones or computers today already have software that allow three-dimensional object detection (3D scanning). An endoscope can serve, for example, to detect the geometry of a borehole. This also applies to a button.

According to the invention, the sensor system can also be used exclusively or exclusively to record geometry data of one of the abovementioned auxiliary elements as situation data. In this case too, the generation of the element data takes place as a function of the geometry data. For example, a dowel can be produced as an element for fastening on the basis of a special screw as an auxiliary element. In addition, a borehole can be detected geometrically. The dowel can be adapted in this way both with regard to the borehole and the screw.

In principle, the sensor system, the expert system and the 3D printer can be separate devices which, for example, only communicate with one another via cable, radio, an Internet connection or the exchange of data carriers. In particular, it may make sense to use the 3D printer, which is possibly bulky and is also used for other tasks, set up spatially separated. Preferably, however, the expert system and at least parts of the sensor system are integrated in one device, in particular a mobile telephone or a mobile computer. In particular, a computing unit of the sensor system is preferably integrated in this one device, while the measured value recording, for example a pushbutton, can also be physically separated and coupled via a radio link. The integration has the advantage that the system can be used compact and existing computing capacity, especially in an already existing mobile phone or tablet PC.

In a preferred embodiment, the method produces a fastening arrangement comprising an attachment element having a retaining surface. This holding surface has a non-planar surface portion, which corresponds to the mounting base. For this purpose, the surface of the mounting base in the surface portion is geometrically detected (scanned) with the sensor system and a fastener with a corresponding holding surface generated by the 3D printer. The holding surface corresponds in particular to the negative shape of the surface portion. The holding surface is in particular between 1 and 400 cm ² , preferably between 4 and 100 cm ² , large.

The invention will be explained below with reference to three exemplary embodiments.

Figur 1

ein Ablaufdiagramm für ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel;

Figur 2

den Schritt der Erfassung von Situationsdaten bei einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel; und

Figur 3

die Erstellung eines Dübels aus Daten zum Befestigungsgrund und zu einer Schraube als Hilfselement.

Show it:

FIG. 1

a flowchart for a first embodiment;

FIG. 2

the step of acquiring situation data in a second embodiment; and

FIG. 3

the creation of a dowel from data on the ground and a screw as an auxiliary element.

This is based on the flowchart in FIG. 1 illustrated inventive method is used to create a mounting assembly 1, in which an L-shaped mounting object 2 is to be attached to a mounting base 3 with non-planar mounting surface 4. For this purpose, the system of the invention used, which consists of a sensor system 5, a computer-aided expert system 6 and a 3D printer 7.

In a first step, a non-planar surface section 8 of the attachment surface 4 with the sensor system 5 is detected. The sensor system 5 is integrated with the expert system 6 in a device, namely a tablet PC as a mobile computer 9 with a camera 10. The mobile computer 9 has an input / output unit 11 in the form of a touch-sensitive screen 12. The operator (not shown) is supported by the sensor system 5 by images, videos, text and / or methods of the so-called augmented reality in the acquisition of situation data 13 of the attachment situation, here a 3D model of the surface section 8. In this case, the sensor system 5 is reciprocated along the arrows A while the camera 10 is directed to the surface portion 8. The collected image data is processed by the sensor system 5 into the situation data 13. For this purpose, known algorithms are to be used.

In a second step, depending on the situation data 13, the expert system 6 generates digital element data 14 in the form of a CAD model of an attachment element 15. The element 15 has a flat basic body 16 with a holding surface 17 whose geometry corresponds to the negative shape of the surface portion 8. The holding surface 17 facing away from the main body 16, two threaded bolt 18 from. Via a mobile Internet connection 19, the element data 14 are transmitted to the 3D printer 7, which generates the real element 15 made of plastic in a third step of the method. The 3D printer 7 can be located directly on site in the area of the later attachment arrangement 1, but can also be set up remotely therefrom.

In the fourth and final step, the fixing object 2 is mounted on the mounting base 3 using the element 15. For this purpose, an adhesive 20 is applied to the support surface 17 and the element 15 is glued to the surface portion 8. Due to the corresponding geometry of support surface 17 and surface portion 8 results in a particularly good grip. At the threaded bolt 18, the fastening object 2 can be screwed in a known manner with nuts 21. The nuts 21 represent auxiliary elements 22 for mounting the mounting arrangement 1 according to the invention. For assembly, the expert system 6 generates an assembly instruction (not shown) in the form of a digital representation of the necessary assembly steps, including instructions for choosing the right adhesive 20.

In the in FIG. 2 illustrated second embodiment, a plasterboard wall (not shown) with substructure to be attached as an attachment object 2 on an uneven wall 23 as a mounting base 3. For this purpose, in the first step by a sensor system 5, here again a mobile computer 9 with camera 10, detects the attachment situation, here the surface geometry of the wall 23. A first, not shown operator moves for this purpose, the sensor system according to arrow A, a second operator 24 stops a tool 25 in the form of an L-shaped metal angle 26 with built-in spirit level (not shown). The aid 25 provides the sensor system 5 vertical and horizontal lines for adjusting the three-dimensional model of the attachment situation, ie the situation data. Furthermore, the second operator with the tool 25 "shows" the target position and target orientation or target distance of the later plasterboard wall from the wall 23. Depending on these situation data, the expert system 6 applies element data from a plurality of different thickness spacers (not shown) as attachment elements generated. These are generated by a 3D printer (not shown) and inserted by means of an assembly system generated by the expert system 6 specifically to the crossing points of a previously mounted profiles profiles profile grid (not shown), which then at the desired distance to the wall 23 with screws and dowels can be attached. The spacers each form the connection between the wall 23 and the profile grid.

In the third embodiment, of which only sub-steps in FIG. 3 are shown, the goal is to create a dowel 27 as an element 15 for attachment. The dowel 27 should be adapted on the one hand to a borehole 28 and on the other hand to an existing screw 29 as an auxiliary element 22. In the first step, on the one hand, the borehole geometry and, on the other hand, the screw geometry are recorded. The two geometry data together form the situation data of the attachment situation of the third embodiment. For detecting the borehole geometry, the sensor system 4 has an endoscope 30 with integrated optics and measuring technology. The screw 29 is detected with the camera 10 of a mobile computer 9 as in the other two embodiments. The mobile computer 9 integrates the expert system 6 and at least part of the sensor system 5. The endoscope 30, which is also part of the sensor system 5, is connected via a radio link to the mobile computer 9 connected. From the situation data, the expert system 6 generates the element data 14 for the dowel 27, which is produced by a 3D printer, not shown. The dowel 27 is adapted on its outer side to the bore hole geometry and in its interior to the screw 29 so that the screw 29 easily screwed and the dowel 27 can find maximum support in the mounting base 3. To define the anchor geometry, the expert system 6 accesses an external database connected via the Internet.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

mounting assembly

2

Fastened article

3

fixing base

4

mounting surface

5

sensor system

6

expert system

7

3D printer

8th

surface section

9

mobile calculator

10

camera

11

Input / output unit

12

screen

13

situation data

14

element data

15

Element for attachment

16

body

17

holding surface

18

threaded bolt

19

mobile internet connection

20

Glue

21

mother

22

auxiliary member

23

wall

24

second operator

25

aid

26

metal brackets

27

dowel

28

well

29

screw

30

endoscope

A

arrow

Claims (10)

System for producing a fastening arrangement (1) with a fastening object (2) on a mounting base (3), comprising a sensor system (5) for sensory acquisition of situation data (13) of a fastening situation, - A computer-aided expert system (6) for generating digital element data (14) of an element (15) for attachment depending on the situation data (13) and - A 3D printer (7) for generating the element (15) for attachment in dependence on the element data (14). System according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor system (5) is suitable for the acquisition of situation data (13) which comprise information about the mounting base (3), in particular a surface geometry and / or a borehole position and / or a reference position to be specified by the user and / or a borehole geometry and / or a building material, and / or - A predetermined by the user target distance from and / or desired position on the mounting base (3) for the attachment object (2) and / or - The geometry of the mounting object (2), in particular a back of the mounting base (3) and / or receiving position of the fastening object (2). System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor system (5) and / or the expert system (6) has an input and output unit (11) for the operator. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor system (5) comprises a camera (10), a laser scanner, an endoscope (30) and / or a button. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expert system (6) and at least parts of the sensor system (5) are integrated in one device, in particular a mobile telephone or a mobile computer (9). System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expert system (6) for producing an assembly instruction for the preparation of the fastening arrangement (1) in dependence on the situation data (13) and element data (14) is suitable. Method for producing a fastening arrangement (1) with a fastening object (2) on a fastening base (3), in particular using a system according to one of the preceding claims, with the following steps: sensory acquisition of situation data (13) of a fastening situation with a sensor system (5), Generation of digital element data (14) of an element (15) for attachment as a function of the situation data (13) with a computer-aided expert system (6), - Producing an element (15) for attachment in dependence on the element data (14) with a 3D printer (7), - Mounting the mounting object (2) on the mounting base (3) using the element (15) for attachment. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the mounting of the fastening object (2) on the mounting base (3) with the additional use of auxiliary elements (22), which are not generated by the 3D printer (7), in particular dowels (27). , Screws, nuts (21), hooks, hardenable masses, spacers, profiles, struts and / or insulating elements. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that with the sensor system (5) geometry data of the auxiliary element (22), in particular a screw (29), a nail or a dowel, and the generation of the element data (14) takes place in dependence of the geometry data , Fastening arrangement with a fastening base (3) and a fastening element (15) produced by the method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the element (15) has a retaining surface (17), in particular with an adhesive (20) that corresponds to a non-planar surface portion (8) of the mounting base (3).

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